In a typical classroom, the teacher will begin the lesson with a target (learning outcome or objective) that they will share with students, letting them know exactly what the main point of the lesson is. The activities and teaching is aligned with this target and during the lesson the students should be able to answer what they are learning and why they are learning the skill. The teacher’s target will be aligned to the skills that are on the report card, thus allowing the teacher multiple opportunities to determine the student’s true performance level of the skill.

Classroom assignments and assessments will continue to be graded and students will know what they do correctly, but there will no longer be the need to calculate a percentage to put on the returned homework. Instead, there will be an increased focus on providing the students with specific feedback aligned to the skill that the teacher is working with the students on mastering. When the student knows what the target is, completes an assignment aligned to that skill, and the teacher provides specific feedback in relation to that skill, research has proven that there will be an increase in student achievement because the student knows exactly what they need to do to show growth.

Major assignments and assessments will be accompanied with a rubric that specifically states what a student needs to be able to do in order to earn a 4, 3, 2, or a 1. The teachers will spend time reviewing this information before the students begin the activity so they know exactly what is expected of them before they begin the activity. Then, as the learning process unfolds, the student is able to ask the necessary questions in order to more successfully complete the activity than if they did not know what was expected of them.